Encounter Atlas
Shadow people are dark, featureless human silhouettes seen in the corner of the eye, in doorways or standing at the foot of the bed. They are usually solid black, darker than the room around them, and dart away when looked at directly.
The idea took off after Coast to Coast AM devoted a show to them in April 2001 and invited listeners to send drawings. The best-known figure is the Hat Man, a tall shadow in a brimmed hat and sometimes a long coat, often reported during sleep paralysis.
Sleep researchers point out that sleep paralysis often brings vivid sensed presences and figures, and the Hat Man is also widely reported by people who take dangerous overdoses of the antihistamine diphenhydramine.
What witnesses report
- A solid black human outline
- A figure in a brimmed hat watching from the doorway
- Being unable to move on waking
- Pressure on the chest
Famous cases
- 2001Coast to Coast AM shadow people show
United States
Seen the Shadow people?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
